This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Neighbor News

Simon Youth Foundation seeks applicants for $1 million in scholarships

Simon Youth Foundation will award a college scholarship to one student from every community that is home to a Simon property.

For a fifteenth straight year, Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, will award a college scholarship to one student from every community that is home to a Simon property, including Smith Haven Mall.

Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded through the Simon Youth Scholarships program and in partnership with local Simon properties. The application period is currently open and ends on February 25, 2015.

Students can apply online by visiting www.syf.org.

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2015 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,500 to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

In addition, ten regional awards called “Award of Excellence” will be given to top candidates. The regions eligible are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, New York, Orange County (CA), Orlando and Seattle/Tacoma. Students from these areas will have the opportunity to win a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable for up to three years.

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In 2014, the Simon Youth Scholarships program awarded $1.1 million to 243 students nationwide.

“Our mission is to ignite hope for a brighter future in students, and our Foundation is proud to partner with Smith Haven Mall to award scholarships that will remove some of the financial obstacles that would otherwise prevent a student from achieving the dream of a college education,” says J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., the President and CEO of SYF.

The 2015 SYF Community Scholarship recipients will be selected by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a post-secondary education will also be given close consideration.

Recipients will be notified the week of May 4, 2015.

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?